IAMCR 2013 update

I am delighted to call IAMCR 2013 in Dublin a success!  Our panel, Free speech, visual discourses and the invisible, included panelists Sarah T. Roberts, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, Ergin Bulut, doctoral candidate in the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Institute of Communications Research, and Victor Pickard, Assistant Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. I spoke about the implications for anthropomorphizing as a design strategy, Roberts presented on the world of digital content moderation, Bulut unveiled women’s hidden domestic labor in the gaming industry, and Pickard discussed the history of media criticism and state regulation of the press.

We had an excellent turnout despite our slot in the last session on Friday afternoon, and were delighted to see colleagues Lisa Nakamura, Christian Fuchs, and Greig de Peuter in the crowd.  We had a rich discussion afterward probing the themes of control and power that ran through all of the presentations, with provocative questioning by Fuchs about trying to find a unified theory in digital media work.  All of the panelists were engaged in uncovering obscure or hidden aspects of media and media practices.  It was delightful to make connections across the different topics. I appreciated the interest in my presentation, the international perspectives on my work, and the chance to meet new colleagues and friends.

NB: Dublin proved to be an endearing backdrop to the conference- between friendly people, good food and drink, and charming sites, I could not have asked for a better host city!